Tuesday, March 27, 2018

So today, instead of doing anything at all useful, such as house cleaning, etc...I put together the center of the "Sew Spooky" quilt. A border is in the making!! This is my do to list for this year, so I am feeling a bit of accomplishment.

It is soaked with rain outside my window, but the pretty flowers are blooming. These bloom at the same time as blue bonnets, yet they are not them...I do love them, whatever they are!!!

Just a few six inch blocks going on here!! These are just so much fun...and it is almost as fast to make two, as it is to make one of them.

I added the trick or treat block to this quilt...and this will be it, except a scrappy string plaid border...say that three times fast, LOL!! It is meant to be a happy quilt for Halloween, for the trick or treat kiddos that come in droves to my house. I can't want to embroider the faces on the kitties!!

Sunday, March 25, 2018

I have been working on this binding today...slow stitching. It is a scrappy binding, so I am changing color when the binding changes colors. This is a big quilt, and will be perfect for my cabin in the woods (that I don't own yet...but hey, I can dream, right?)

I am almost finished with this applique block, and I spend a wonderful hour slowly placing tiny stitches to finish up the applique today. I loved those few moments, and it truly relaxed me.

The iris are now blooming. These are so fragrant, and so pretty...love them!

I have a tomato with little yellow blossoms on it. It is a total cheat...I just bought it at the store, with the blossoms already on it!! It will hopefully have tomatoes before the intense heat of summer comes and kills it.

I am linking to Kathy...please go see what others are slow stitching on, too!!

I have been working on this applique block. It was scrunched up in my purse, as I worked on it yesterday in a vet waiting room.

And a few bow ties, too...I have a zillion of these, and it is my goal to get them into a quilt this year.

I must confess, I love to dig in the dirt in the lovely springtime weather, so planted a few flowers yesterday, and mowed the grass.

The iris buds are spearing up toward the sun...love them!! These were from my mother-in-law's yard...they blacktopped over her garden a few days later, when her old home sold, so I am so glad I rescued these...I love them!!

*********************Just something...what do you think?******************

I love quilt alongs!! I absolutely dislike it, however, when the pattern or whatever is there for a few days and then gone. I never seem to be able to get it downloaded in a timely manner, so I am unlikely to visit or get the quilt going...I wish that the patterns could be keep on the site until the quilt along is over!! Why do they do that? I have a house and sick dog and sick hubby and full time job going too, so it is sometimes a challenge to download!

Sunday, March 18, 2018

I have made a tiny bit more progress on the Freedom quilt...Sweet Land of Liberty! I am having a hard time photographing this one all in one big piece, so here is the right side...

And here is the left side! Mine is shaping up to be quite different than the original quilt, by Cheri Payne. But, since I have no pattern and I am making it up as I go...I am just doing whatever the quilt wants me to do at the time, and going with it!! The stars on the right side of the quilt will go all the way down that edge, and the flying geese blocks will edge the left side, all the way down. It felt really good to at least make that decision in advance, and cut out all those blocks so they are ready to sew in spare moments.

This is Rosie Posie, my darling poodle. Some of you know that she was a stray that came into the neighborhood, our home, and our hearts. She is pretty sick...she is relaxing on one of her favorite quilts, here. She has an abdominal ultrasound coming up on the 20th, to determine if she has Cushing's disease or liver cancer. So, my goal is to love her and keep her comfortable every moment. Each moment is a gift, with her!!! I am pretty heart broken about this, but I know that each of us, in turn, will face death...just wish she would last forever. (Sounds like a nursing pragmatism, right??)

One more thing on a vastly different topic: Is it OK to clean my sewing machine with the aide of a spray can of air, or not? Would love your opinion!!!

Friday, March 16, 2018

This is just a super quick, (not good) photo of my progress on the Cheri Payne quilt that Lori of Humble quilts is facilitating. It is a freewheeling quilt, and you can make it just the way you want to...and it is great fun! I have a lot of applique to do on the dark red panel on the top. Just recording my progress, here!!!

Thursday, March 15, 2018

I made some progress yesterday! The bright green blocks are the addition to this quilt, this month. I am thinking I am going to have to carry this forward for another year's round of colors, to make a big enough quilt for a hospital bed.

The greens! They look like my trees; covered with tiny green buds!!! Happy Spring to each of you!

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

I have gotten precious little done this month, on rainbow projects, but the birdies are done!! Light, fresh green is the color of the month...so here are some scrappy green birdies from the scrap basket.

Here is where I am so far, with our avian friends. The blocks are an odd size...some are 9 inches, and some 6 inches...unfinished. So it will be fun to fit them all together!!

It has been a challenging week. I have gotten next to nothing done, and that bothers me. Just the regular housework. Every day is something...an appointment, a SOMETHING to do! I just want a day off...do you?

Monday, March 12, 2018

Recently, my friend Lori of Humble Quilts asked me, "What are you into lately?" A simple question, but one that really got me thinking...what in the world am I into, and with a little more thought, what is my favorite kind of quilts, ever?!! I guess the answer is, like a lot of us....I love it all!! But plaids and strings? They hold a very, very special place in my quilting heart. I was refolding quilts yesterday, and found this little plaid quilt I made several years ago. It is a bear paw quilt (of course!), made of, yes, Plaids and Strings!!

The blocks are only seven inches finished, and I always planned to make an identical, big, bed sized quilt with 14 inch blocks. I need to get on that! This one is hand quilted with black thread.

I am loving my rainbow quilts, because they are using bits and pieces of scraps and strings, that I really want to use up and pass on for someone to enjoy.

I love brights, and dull colors, and plaids and reproductions, and batiks, and 1930's...I guess I am so blessed to just really enjoy the whole gamut of everything the quilting world has to offer.

So my question for you is...what are you into? I would really love to know!!!

I recently received some goodies from Vic, who blogs here: http://victoria-carroll-parkhill.blogspot.com/ We had a little exchange...and I just love these selvages (strings!) and will put them to good use! That little rectangle you see is a sachet. Vic makes them, and it smells like I imagine heaven smells like...yummy!

I found this rainbow quilt on Pinterest...is it yours? When I clicked on it, it came to a dead end on the computer...I love this!! Maybe for next year?

This is a quilt from Becky, from Quilting in the Old Country...it is amazing to me...scrappy and just perfect for using blue scraps! Becky is an amazing, very prolific quilter...love her scrappy goodness!!

Friday, March 9, 2018

I have had some hand stitching time, so I bound all of these little things. I have a box of handwork that I can just pick up and take with me, to fill hours in waiting rooms, etc., so that is just what I do!! Just little things.

I also got most of the hand blanket stitching done on my Cheri blocks, for the Halloween/fall time quilt. I wonder if I could get away with adding a silly turkey, and call it a fall quilt, instead of just Halloween!!!? Maybe not!

Have a super day, each of you! I was supposed to be the charge nurse today, so I got up at 4:40, to be ready...but they texted me to stay home for a while and be there regular time. So! An hour early...means a blog post, folding laundry, and sweeping floors before work time. Using every minute here!!

Saturday, March 3, 2018

These are all the batik scraps I have. I have 6 three inch blocks left over! I hope to make a patient quilt from these blocks...something bright and cheerful to brighten a very sick patient's day.

Pictures are good for finding mistakes in layout, LOL!! I am grateful for that. I see at least one. I bet you can spy that one!

Just another picture. This is on my list for the year...so whoop, whoop for progress!

**********************Nurse's notes*********************

I got placed on call for today. Our patient census is down, at least in the CCU where I work. As nurses, we take turns being on call. There are two ways to look at this...I have to stay home, and dressed, so that I can be called in on a moments notice for any STEMI (heart attack patient) or any other emergency patient that requires critical care. I get paid the grand sum of $2 dollars an hour for this, and need to take vacation pay to get the rest of my wages...

But on the other hand!! I have an unexpected day off, at least for now!! So I am making tracks as fast as I can...Yahoo!!!

Thursday, March 1, 2018

This is one of my favorite quilts, ever! The blocks are 6 inches finished, and the sashing is tiny...2 inch nine patches. I was re-folding quilts last night, and deciding which quilts to take to patients in the hospital this week...this one just has to stay with me! It was made from a Barrister's block quilt along from a few years ago.

I have been prepping SO Spooky blocks...this is a quilt along on face book by Cheri Payne. I made it all my own...the pumpkin witchy lady is dancing, in my block...whoop!!! Lot of stitching still to go, of course. Not very spooky at my house, LOL!